Harborside
Harborside is a crusty sea-side town located on Eithne's northern coast. It is known for its hardened sailors, persistent fog, and distinctive stench. The overwhelming majority of its residents work in the whaling business, providing coveted whale oil throughout the continent, along with meat, bone, and tendon Town Harborside is situated on the Grey Coast, roughly eighty miles northwest of the capitol city. It is best described as 'rough': housing and establishments are built with available materials that willingly (and almost gleefully) sacrifice beauty for functionality that nonetheless seems to be in a constant state of repair. The town is split into a lower and upper level by a ridge. Businesses occupy the lower level; residential homes, a lighthouse, and the town hall occupy the top. Harborside's port is the main feature of the town and is large enough to support several vessels of various sizes; of all the town's assets, the piers are kept in the best condition. Due to the region's persistent, thick fog, the lighthouse is carefully maintained at all times by two keepers, one for the daytime hours and one for the night. In addition to the fog, a pervasive stench permeates the town due the constant presence of whale carcasses. Most residents no longer notice it, but it can knock a newcomer off their hooves. Culture Harborside residents are called Seaborn(s), a self-given title. A 'black sheep' of sorts, Harborside shuns the luxury and hedonism associated with traditional Aodhian culture and seeks to distance itself from the herd's main image. Harborside's residents are hardy, persistent, and prone to a brutal honesty. They consider experience to be the most valued asset in another equine. Slaves are nonexistent in Harborside. This is not due to moral outrage so much as Harborside's residents consider free labor to be a personal insult to their abilities; they can take care of themselves just fine, unlike Valorians. Seaborns have built their own 'Crucible' - a very sad looking but effective arena made from spare parts - in which residents* of the town can register to fight for prizes beneath the gaze of gambling spectators. This activity is illegal, as Harborside has not and never will purchase a gambling license. Although they do not shun Ignacio, the typical Seaborn worships Cascade as their primary patron. They relate Cascade's behavior to the sea. Her mood is unpredictable and difficult to influence; she is capable of both great mercy and terrible vengeance, calm when it suits her and violent when it does not. She is prayed to before each voyage, and thanked upon each safe return. There is no schoolhouse in Harborside. Children are taught by their guardians, and practical skills are valued over academic ones. Unless their occupation calls for it, the average Seaborn is illiterate. Harborside's views on gender and sexuality coincide with the rest of the Aodh herd. Polyamory is common, and gender norms are nonexistent. *The horses who fight in Harborside's Crucible are citizens. Slaves are never used for this activity, no exceptions. Notes * The average Seaborn has light conformation (real world counterparts would be arabians, marwaris, saddlebreds, etc) * There are no slaves in Harborside. Nobles and artisans do not live here. Chevaliers stationed in the town are generally met with contempt. Category:Aodh Category:Location